1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition containing an organogermanium compound and an immunity adjusting agent comprising this composition. The organogermanium compound is represented by the formula: ##STR3## wherein n is an integer of 1 or more, R is hydrogen, alkyl, --COOH, --COOR', phenyl, ##STR4## and R' is a lower alkyl.
2. Related Arts
The organogermanium compounds (polymers) represented by Formula I has been watched with great interest in recent years, due to its attractive pharmacological activities, and thus various derivatives of these polymers have been synthesized.
However, these organogermanium compounds as proposed have a common disadvantage in that they are not too stable to water. When such an organogermanium compound is prepared, through the hydrolysis of trichlorogermylpropionic acid, a group of different organogermanium compounds will be formed, as disclosed in Examined Jap. Pat. Appln. Gazette Nos. 2498/1971 and 53800/1982, as well as Unexamined Jap. Pat. Appln. Gazette No. 102895/1982. This means that the product of this hydrolysis will be different, depending on slight differences in the time or conditions of the hydrolysis reaction. Therefore, it is possible to estimate that a certain hydrolysis product may change into another product when the former is suspended or dissolved in water. This phenomenon has actually been reported (Examined Jap. Pat. Appln. Gazette Nos. 53800/1982 and 18399/1984).
The inventors have carefully studied the pharmacological activities of the various organogermanium compounds represented by said Formula I, which have been prepared by a common process, but under a different synthesis conditions, to find that each compound shows a remarkable difference in its degree of pharmacological activity. Now, it is, of course, desired to obtain specific organogermanium compounds which show a high and stable pharmacological activity, in order to utilize them as an effective component of a pharmaceutical agent. However, it has further been confirmed by the inventors, with respect to the compounds of Formula I, and more particularly those wherein all of the substituents R in the Formula are hydrogen, that their degree of polymerization varies due to slight differences in the conditions of synthesis thereof. It has also been determined that, for use as pharmaceutical agents, these compounds should only be in the solid form, because an intermolecular bond therein is easily severed or broken due to a slight change in environment or atmosphere. It has been found that the pharmacological activities inherent in these compounds are not stable, since at least partial decomposition thereof occurs prior to their reaching a desired absorption area in a living body.
Hitherto, a large number of reports, to the effect that the organogermanium compounds in question have an immunity accelerating action as one of its pharmacological properties, have been issued, but all of such compounds have not been employed for developing a pharmaceutical agent, due to their low stability and other difficulties. Some of them have also been considered as a harmful substance to various diseases or disorders concerning to the immunity acceleration system.
However, the inventors have now found, through their various studies, that the organogermanium compounds in question show great effectivity on various immunity disorders, namely both disordered of the immunity inhibition system and the immunity acceleration disorders, and thus the "immunity accelerating action" which has hitherto widely been reported and accepted is not correct and should be corrected to refer to an--immunity adjusting or regulating action--.